The grittiness and simplicity of Tree is what gets me. This isn't to say however that Tree is unpolished or basic. What I am getting at is there aren't any excesses in their music. Tree's new release Splitting Branches reflects a deliberateness applied to every aspect of their sound. I enjoy the rough around the edge quality that accents Nickell's voice and artful verse recitation. Go listen to "Pieces of What" by MGMT after Tree if you don't get what I am talking about.
Now for some background. Tree is the moniker of 19 year old bay artist, Oliver Nickell. Showing some ambition Nickell put together Tree Collaborations, a rotating art collective based out of San Francisco. Tree Collaborations bridges the fields of music, art, film, animation, and even fashion. Hit up their website. A testament to the the collectives creativity is the music video for "Tully" below. In the future look for a Splitting Branches remix compilation. Additionally, the debut EP will drop in April containing an undisclosed cover of one of Tree's favorite groups. In the meantime, Splitting Branches will be looping here at Bochi as I am sure it will be for a lot of you. We have a lot to look forward to from Tree and his collective.
Astronauts, Etc.
Astronauts, Etc. has returned with a new original titled "Sideswiped." Supermelodic Pulp was the last we heard from Astronauts (with the exception of a few recent covers) and marked one of the more significant releases of the fall. The EP contained "You Can Yell" and "Mystery Colors," which both deservedly received solid coverage in the blogosphere. 22 year old Berkeley student Anthony Ferraro is the man behind Astronauts, Etc. In addition to Astronauts, Ferraro is a part of The Lawlands and Ash Reiter. In customary fashion Ferraro released an accompanying video that compliments the single extremely well. The calming cityscape of San Francisco meshes well with the Ferraro's voice. A haunting, brilliant single from Astronauts, Etc. that expands on his already impressive repertoire.
The West
The West delivers an uplifting tune with "Wild Hearts." The West are comprised of a strong front-woman and as band member Brandon Leslie says, "a few guys to balance out the mix." The chorus of "Wild Hearts" boasts a catchy hook that proves difficult to resist mouthing along. The West have recently released a self-titled EP and have a video with director Danny Iglesias (The Neighbourhood) lined up for the summer. In a scene and genre where it becomes difficult to distinguish one indie group from another, The West firmly establish themselves through thoughtful songwriting and a bit of infectious twang.
It's been a great week for new releases and the one I'm most excited about thus far is "Petrol Station" from Sorcha Richardson. There are a few groups that have been standbys for me since Bochi Crew started in 2012 and Sorcha Richardson is certainly one of them. The New York based Irish musician has developed tremendously through her solo work and work with CON VOS.In her most recent effort, the stripped down acoustic has made way for a synth heavy, thumping tune. The best part? Richardson's lyrics still linger on just as hauntingly as they always have. Take the line:
"the grass stains on my shoes/and my rib cage is bruised/and that side of love you tasted/find that stuff you chase."
It hits just as hard as lines on Sleep will set me free. Richardson has a knack for not only great lyricism, but for the even more important delivery. "Petrol Station" sees its release on May 26th followed by a number of summer shows. Catch her May 23 at Hotel Caf…
Via Courier Mail So I'm late to the game on this one - like the grounds crew has already finished their job, packed up, and has cracked a beer at home late - but figured what the heck, a good song is a good song right? The Brisbane artist absolutely kills Chet Faker's "Gold" during this round of Triple J's Like a Version.Faker's Built on Glass was easily one of the records on heaviest rotation for me this past year, so praise for Faker duplication does not come easily.Plum adds so many layers, however, really giving the track more the feel of a stepchild - who becomes the star of the family -rather than bastard son. Might just be listening to Plum's take from here on out whenever Built on Glass hits track five. Be sure to check out her first EP, Rosie, and her latest, Monsters.This find comes via Stereofox.
Submissions from this past week seem to represent one or two genres, composition and instrumental. As I have mentioned in the past, instrumental work tends to be my favorite and unfortunately it seems to be a genre that doesn't secure enough traction. 'Nough said and with one more plug on to the music. As always email us your submissions at bochicrew@gmail.com
Oskar Schuster
Starting piano at the age of 6 and beginning to compose at the age of 14, the ability of Oskar Schuster to weave fantasized dreamscapes comes as no surprise. In more recent years Schuster studied musicology in Munich before packing up his bags for Berlin in hopes of becoming a musician. Since then he has released Dear Utopia in September 2011 and is currently working on his second full-length entitled, Sneuuwland. Schuster writes,
"I like to call my songs musical fairytales as they create a surreal, magical atmosphere with the combination of piano, glockenspiel, music box, accordion and beats ma…
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